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The Tale of a Niggun
Based on an actual event that occurred during World War II, this heartbreaking narrative poem about history, immortality, and the power of song is accompanied by magnificent full-color paintings by award-winning artist Mark Podwal.
It is the evening before the holiday of Purim, and the Nazis have given the ghetto's leaders twenty-four hours to turn over ten Jews to be hung to "avenge" the deaths of the ten sons of Haman, the villain of the Purim story, which celebrates the triumph of the Jews of Persia over potential genocide some 2,400 years ago. If the leaders refuse, the entire ghetto will be liquidated. Terrified, they go to the ghetto's rabbi for advice; he tells them to return the next morning. Over the course of the night the rabbi calls up the spirits of rabbis from centuries past, but no one can give him a satisfactory answer; they've never encountered anything like this. The eighteenth century mystic and founder of Hasidism, the Ba'al Shem Tov, tries to intercede with God by singing a niggun, a wordless, joyful melody with the power to break the chains of evil, but his efforts end in failure. Heartbroken, the Ba'al Shem Tov teaches the niggun to the ghetto's rabbi, and vanishes. That evening, everyone in the ghetto is herded into the synagogue courtyard. When no one steps forward, they are informed that in an hour they will all be killed. How does one prepare to die? The question is laid before the ghetto rabbi, and he teaches his assembled community the song that the Ba'al Shem Tov taught him the night before. As their voices soar upward, they are joined by those of Jews from centuries past from all over the world, all singing the Ba'al Shem Tov's niggun as the massacre begins. And as the souls of these men, women, and children rise to the heavens, their song continues, uninterrupted, to the end of time and beyond.
With an introduction by Elisha Wiesel
It is the evening before the holiday of Purim, and the Nazis have given the ghetto's leaders twenty-four hours to turn over ten Jews to be hung to "avenge" the deaths of the ten sons of Haman, the villain of the Purim story, which celebrates the triumph of the Jews of Persia over potential genocide some 2,400 years ago. If the leaders refuse, the entire ghetto will be liquidated. Terrified, they go to the ghetto's rabbi for advice; he tells them to return the next morning. Over the course of the night the rabbi calls up the spirits of rabbis from centuries past, but no one can give him a satisfactory answer; they've never encountered anything like this. The eighteenth century mystic and founder of Hasidism, the Ba'al Shem Tov, tries to intercede with God by singing a niggun, a wordless, joyful melody with the power to break the chains of evil, but his efforts end in failure. Heartbroken, the Ba'al Shem Tov teaches the niggun to the ghetto's rabbi, and vanishes. That evening, everyone in the ghetto is herded into the synagogue courtyard. When no one steps forward, they are informed that in an hour they will all be killed. How does one prepare to die? The question is laid before the ghetto rabbi, and he teaches his assembled community the song that the Ba'al Shem Tov taught him the night before. As their voices soar upward, they are joined by those of Jews from centuries past from all over the world, all singing the Ba'al Shem Tov's niggun as the massacre begins. And as the souls of these men, women, and children rise to the heavens, their song continues, uninterrupted, to the end of time and beyond.
With an introduction by Elisha Wiesel
1 pages, Audiobook
First published November 17, 2020
9 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Elie Wiesel
274 books4,543 followersEliezer "Elie" Wiesel was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.
In his political activities Wiesel became a regular speaker on the subject of the Holocaust and remained a strong defender of human rights during his lifetime. He also advocated for many other causes like the state of Israel and against Hamas and victims of oppression including Soviet and Ethiopian Jews, the apartheid in South Africa, the Bosnian genocide, Sudan, the Kurds and the Armenian genocide, Argentina's Desaparecidos or Nicaragua's Miskito people.
He was a professor of the humanities at Boston University, which created the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies in his honor. He was involved with Jewish causes and human rights causes and helped establish the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Wiesel was awarded various prestigious awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He was a founding board member of the New York Human Rights Foundation and remained active in it throughout his life.
In his political activities Wiesel became a regular speaker on the subject of the Holocaust and remained a strong defender of human rights during his lifetime. He also advocated for many other causes like the state of Israel and against Hamas and victims of oppression including Soviet and Ethiopian Jews, the apartheid in South Africa, the Bosnian genocide, Sudan, the Kurds and the Armenian genocide, Argentina's Desaparecidos or Nicaragua's Miskito people.
He was a professor of the humanities at Boston University, which created the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies in his honor. He was involved with Jewish causes and human rights causes and helped establish the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Wiesel was awarded various prestigious awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He was a founding board member of the New York Human Rights Foundation and remained active in it throughout his life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
December 15, 2020
“A nigun (Hebrew: ניגון meaning "tune" or "melody", pl. nigunim) or niggun (pl. niggunim) is a form of Jewish religious song or tune sung by groups. It is vocal music, often with repetitive sounds such as "Bim-Bim-Bam", "Lai-Lai-Lai", "Yai-Yai-Yai" or "Ai-Ai-Ai" instead of formal lyrics.”
Wikipedia
Even if you’re not Jewish, like me, and don’t fully understand all of the references to Jewish thought and rabbis of the past that are fully present here, it’s impossible not to feel the overwhelming heartbreak, beauty and hope of this narrative poem by a treasure of man . Even more affecting because it is based on a true story of a rabbi during WWII, who was asked for advice by ghetto leaders on how to respond to the request of the Nazis to give up ten Jews to be murdered or the whole community would die.
It’s a short piece and rather than say more, I will only say that this needs to be read. It needs to be read because it’s so very important to evoke those memories and to never forget. It needs to be read because Ellie Wiesel is one of the best teachers of the importance of remembering the Holocaust. Whether you are Jewish or not, it takes being a human being to feel the horror, heartbreak and hope that is reflected in this poem, in particular at the end with song . This was a reminder to me that I have only read Wiesel’s Nightand must read the other two books in the trilogy.
I listened to this and read it at the same time.
August 7, 2020
Emotional, heartbreaking, brilliantly written, this narrative poem was written by Elie Wiesel in the late 1970s. It was found and brought to Elies sons attention by a Jerusalem-based bookseller. He had been unaware of its existence. It is set during WWII and on the eve on the Purim holiday. The colored illustrations fit this terrible dilemma of a poem, perfectly. No one should have to make the decision this Rabbi had to make.
ARC from Netgalley
ARC from Netgalley
December 19, 2020
This poem tells a story of the terrifying choice posed by the Nazi regime to the inhabitants of a Jewish ghetto on the eve of the Jewish holiday, Purim. The Jews must choose ten of the ghetto inhabitants to be killed on Purim, in revenge for each of the sons of Haman killed in the Book of Esther. If they do not offer up the ten Jewish ghetto residents, all the Jews in the ghetto will be killed. The ghetto residents beg their Rabbi, a spiritual leader, to make the decision for them. The ghetto Rabbi embarks on a desperate search for an answer in the body of Jewish Treatise, written and interpreted by the greatest Rabbinic scholars of all time. Although he gathers strength from studying the texts, none of the answers arising from the page or from his spiritual communion with each scholar, prepares him for the Decision he must make for his people. Knowing that he cannot save his brethren, the Rabbi instead leads the ghetto residents in prayer as they make ready to depart from the living. He chooses to do so by teaching and joining them in a tune (niggun) by the Polish Jewish mystic and healer, known as the Ba’al Shem Tov (1698-1760), founder of the Jewish Hassidic tradition. The tune reaches up to God and is joined with the voices of the Jewish scholars and martyrs before them, as the Jews are delivered from their oblivious tormentors.
The dreaded event takes place on the Jewish holiday of Purim – when the Jewish people celebrate being saved from annihilation at the hands of the people of Shushan, Persia, as described approximately 2500 years ago in the Book of Esther. I divert here to that book, since Wiesel chose to set his story on the eve and day of Purim.
Esther, the new and favored bride of Ahasuerus, King of Shushan, was faced with a challenge similar to that of the Rabbi, as the fate of all the Jews in Shushan weighed heavy on her shoulders. Mordechai, a man, wise beyond his times, orchestrated her union with King Ahasuerus, and then cashed in his chips when he instructed Esther to approach Ahasuerus and convince him to cancel an edict the King was tricked into signing, by Haman, his trusted Advisor. The edict called for the people of the Kingdom to lift their swords and smite the Jews of Shushan on a certain date, giving leave also to the pillage of their property. The date was drawing near, and although Esther questioned Mordechai’s instructions, she knew that her fate was tied to that of her Nation, even if Mordechai needed to remind her of that before she stepped up to the plate. Esther had to rely on her own wits to find a way out of her predicament since the body of treatise available to the Rabbi in Wiesel’s story was only written about 1500 and more years later. Esther chose a different religious custom – fasting. She told Mordechai to ask all the Jews of Shushan to fast for three days. After the three-day fast, Esther screwed up the courage to break with protocol and enter the King’s court, unbidden. If her trespass had not found favor with the King, she could have lost her head (literally) like her predecessor, Queen Vashti, but the King was smitten by her beauty and could deny her nothing. Much intrigue, manipulation, and irony followed (this is a great story and one Bible lesson that I did not sleep through). For those of you who like suspense thrillers, I will reveal only that since the King could not cancel his edict, a creative solution was found making for an interesting twisty ending to this story. Esther’s heroic actions resulted in a happy ending for the Jews of Shushan and a public hanging of Haman and his ten sons.
I wish I could say the same for the Jews of the Ghetto in Wiesel’s poem.
Elie Wiesel was perhaps the greatest champion of memorializing the Holocaust and the genocide of six million Jews who died at the hands of Hitler and Nazi Germany’s Allies during WWII.
The illustrations in this book are beautiful, some are haunting. The poem is not nearly as visceral as I would have liked to describe such a nightmarish event. It read more like a parable or allegory. with a tragic ending. I don’t know if this was originally written in English. It feels like it might have been translated from Yiddish, perhaps French or Romanian, it smacks a little of stories by famous Yiddish authors.
Apparently, this book was published today (12/17/2020). I had no problem finding the ebook today online from my library. The book is so short it can be read in about ten minutes...the review took much longer to write.
The dreaded event takes place on the Jewish holiday of Purim – when the Jewish people celebrate being saved from annihilation at the hands of the people of Shushan, Persia, as described approximately 2500 years ago in the Book of Esther. I divert here to that book, since Wiesel chose to set his story on the eve and day of Purim.
Esther, the new and favored bride of Ahasuerus, King of Shushan, was faced with a challenge similar to that of the Rabbi, as the fate of all the Jews in Shushan weighed heavy on her shoulders. Mordechai, a man, wise beyond his times, orchestrated her union with King Ahasuerus, and then cashed in his chips when he instructed Esther to approach Ahasuerus and convince him to cancel an edict the King was tricked into signing, by Haman, his trusted Advisor. The edict called for the people of the Kingdom to lift their swords and smite the Jews of Shushan on a certain date, giving leave also to the pillage of their property. The date was drawing near, and although Esther questioned Mordechai’s instructions, she knew that her fate was tied to that of her Nation, even if Mordechai needed to remind her of that before she stepped up to the plate. Esther had to rely on her own wits to find a way out of her predicament since the body of treatise available to the Rabbi in Wiesel’s story was only written about 1500 and more years later. Esther chose a different religious custom – fasting. She told Mordechai to ask all the Jews of Shushan to fast for three days. After the three-day fast, Esther screwed up the courage to break with protocol and enter the King’s court, unbidden. If her trespass had not found favor with the King, she could have lost her head (literally) like her predecessor, Queen Vashti, but the King was smitten by her beauty and could deny her nothing. Much intrigue, manipulation, and irony followed (this is a great story and one Bible lesson that I did not sleep through). For those of you who like suspense thrillers, I will reveal only that since the King could not cancel his edict, a creative solution was found making for an interesting twisty ending to this story. Esther’s heroic actions resulted in a happy ending for the Jews of Shushan and a public hanging of Haman and his ten sons.
I wish I could say the same for the Jews of the Ghetto in Wiesel’s poem.
Elie Wiesel was perhaps the greatest champion of memorializing the Holocaust and the genocide of six million Jews who died at the hands of Hitler and Nazi Germany’s Allies during WWII.
The illustrations in this book are beautiful, some are haunting. The poem is not nearly as visceral as I would have liked to describe such a nightmarish event. It read more like a parable or allegory. with a tragic ending. I don’t know if this was originally written in English. It feels like it might have been translated from Yiddish, perhaps French or Romanian, it smacks a little of stories by famous Yiddish authors.
Apparently, this book was published today (12/17/2020). I had no problem finding the ebook today online from my library. The book is so short it can be read in about ten minutes...the review took much longer to write.
December 15, 2020
Niggun: a mystical musical prayer or a spiritual language beyond words.
This short story written by Elie Wiesel in the 1970s is both heartbreaking and up-lifting. Told in the form of a narrative poem and based on a true event during WWII it is steeped in Jewish culture and history with the importance of faith and community at its core. The ending slayed me.
On the eve of the Jewish holiday of Purim, the Nazis demand that the Rabbi name ten Jews to be hung to avenge the deaths of the ten sons of Haman, the villain of the Purim story, which celebrates the triumph of the Jews of Persia over potential genocide some 2,400 years ago. If they refuse, everyone in the ghetto will be murdered. The rabbi seeks a solution from Jewish leaders throughout the ages. An answer seems impossible until the final rabbinical solution is spoken, an answer that none of them could have foreseen.
This short story written by Elie Wiesel in the 1970s is both heartbreaking and up-lifting. Told in the form of a narrative poem and based on a true event during WWII it is steeped in Jewish culture and history with the importance of faith and community at its core. The ending slayed me.
On the eve of the Jewish holiday of Purim, the Nazis demand that the Rabbi name ten Jews to be hung to avenge the deaths of the ten sons of Haman, the villain of the Purim story, which celebrates the triumph of the Jews of Persia over potential genocide some 2,400 years ago. If they refuse, everyone in the ghetto will be murdered. The rabbi seeks a solution from Jewish leaders throughout the ages. An answer seems impossible until the final rabbinical solution is spoken, an answer that none of them could have foreseen.
December 13, 2020
I read a lot of short books at the end of the year to round out my reading average. Yeah, I’m that person or my undiagnosed OCD gets the better of me. This slim gem by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel was on my library’s new book shelf so I grabbed it immediately. It is only about 30 pages and has an extremely powerful message and stunning artwork.
The Tale of a Niggun takes place at Purim in a ghetto and now it’s Chanukah but that’s ok. Those are the only two holidays that will be celebrated in their entirety in Olom HaBa so they are intricately linked and perhaps the reason the book was calling me from the shelf at this time of year. The town’s rabbi had a dilemma: the Germans demanded that he sacrifice five Jews from the town in the next twenty four hours. He called on biblical sages to help solve this puzzle and received a mystical answer that might baffle some, but left me satisfied on a spiritual level.
Niggun was found in Weisel’s papers by his son Elisha and had been unpublished during his lifetime. Elisha Wiesel took painstaking care to keep to his father’s values along with the artwork without selling out. The result is this book that resonates in today’s world and bonus is that it takes all of fifteen minutes to read. So yes, I am still crushing that reading average. And on that note, Happy Chanukah.
The Tale of a Niggun takes place at Purim in a ghetto and now it’s Chanukah but that’s ok. Those are the only two holidays that will be celebrated in their entirety in Olom HaBa so they are intricately linked and perhaps the reason the book was calling me from the shelf at this time of year. The town’s rabbi had a dilemma: the Germans demanded that he sacrifice five Jews from the town in the next twenty four hours. He called on biblical sages to help solve this puzzle and received a mystical answer that might baffle some, but left me satisfied on a spiritual level.
Niggun was found in Weisel’s papers by his son Elisha and had been unpublished during his lifetime. Elisha Wiesel took painstaking care to keep to his father’s values along with the artwork without selling out. The result is this book that resonates in today’s world and bonus is that it takes all of fifteen minutes to read. So yes, I am still crushing that reading average. And on that note, Happy Chanukah.
November 17, 2020
God made man because He loves stories.
-- Elie Wiesel
A niggun is a melody, typically comprised of sounds rather than in verses as one hears in a hymn. The ones I’ve heard have tended to be beautiful, if plaintive, in nature.
Written by Elie Wiesel in the 1970’s, this is a narrative poem brought to his Wiesel’s son Elisha’s attention by Mechael Pomeranz, who found it in an out-of-print collection of essays published in 1978, a collection honoring Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, a friend of Elie Wiesel.
In the introduction to this poem, Elisha Wiesel shares that this poem is based on actual events that took place during WWII. On the evening before Purim, an ultimatum is delivered by the Nazis to the ghetto’s selected leaders: In twenty-four hours they must turn over ten Jews, who are to be hung, in an act of vengeance for the deaths of Haman’s ten sons. Haman the evil of the Book of Esther. The leaders, in turn, seek out the rabbi for advice, but he must have time to think about it, and tells them to return the next day. Through the night the rabbi wrestles with what is to come, tormented by the desire for a solution. And soon he begins to sing a niggun that no one has ever sung before.
Published: 17 Nov 2020
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group / Schocken
#TheTaleofaNiggun #NetGalley
-- Elie Wiesel
A niggun is a melody, typically comprised of sounds rather than in verses as one hears in a hymn. The ones I’ve heard have tended to be beautiful, if plaintive, in nature.
Written by Elie Wiesel in the 1970’s, this is a narrative poem brought to his Wiesel’s son Elisha’s attention by Mechael Pomeranz, who found it in an out-of-print collection of essays published in 1978, a collection honoring Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, a friend of Elie Wiesel.
In the introduction to this poem, Elisha Wiesel shares that this poem is based on actual events that took place during WWII. On the evening before Purim, an ultimatum is delivered by the Nazis to the ghetto’s selected leaders: In twenty-four hours they must turn over ten Jews, who are to be hung, in an act of vengeance for the deaths of Haman’s ten sons. Haman the evil of the Book of Esther. The leaders, in turn, seek out the rabbi for advice, but he must have time to think about it, and tells them to return the next day. Through the night the rabbi wrestles with what is to come, tormented by the desire for a solution. And soon he begins to sing a niggun that no one has ever sung before.
Published: 17 Nov 2020
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group / Schocken
#TheTaleofaNiggun #NetGalley
December 23, 2020
Thanks to Angela for recommending this one. I listened to the audiobook of this predawn this morning as I had my coffee. I was not raised Jewish, but I'm ethnically an Ashkenazi Jew, and I felt it in my bone marrow as I listened. A really good feeling of being part of something huge and powerful and ancient.
October 31, 2020
Elie Wiesel is best known for his Night trilogy, in which he tells of his experience as a Jewish young man in nazi camps during WWII. Night is one of my all time top reads. It is very powerful.
Wiesel's The Tale of a Niggun is a narrative poem about the WWII experience of Jews in the ghettos of Europe. On the eve of the Purim holiday the leaders of a Jewish ghetto are trying to grapple with the demands of the Nazis that 10 Jewish be handed over to by hung in order to avenge the death of the 10 sons of Haman, the villain from the Purim story. The rabbi in this poem calls on spirits of past rabbis to help guide him in this difficult decision. This is a story of morality, faith, religion, loyalty, and preservation. Lovely, emotional, and powerful.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
Wiesel's The Tale of a Niggun is a narrative poem about the WWII experience of Jews in the ghettos of Europe. On the eve of the Purim holiday the leaders of a Jewish ghetto are trying to grapple with the demands of the Nazis that 10 Jewish be handed over to by hung in order to avenge the death of the 10 sons of Haman, the villain from the Purim story. The rabbi in this poem calls on spirits of past rabbis to help guide him in this difficult decision. This is a story of morality, faith, religion, loyalty, and preservation. Lovely, emotional, and powerful.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
April 12, 2021
In essence, a long poem written by Elie Weisel based on an actual event in which the Nazis demanded that the oldest Jew of a ghetto name 10 residents of the ghetto to die in retaliation for the 10 deaths in the Biblical Book of Esther, on which the Jewish holiday of Purim is based, or they would massacre every resident. It is beautiful, and conveys the deep anguish of the rabbi who is consulted and who attempts to find an answer in the scripture and commentaries. He finally realizes that it can't be done, but that they can sing a tune (niggun) to celebrate their sacrifice and the joy of life.
October 15, 2021
Haunting, evocative, tragic. A perfect pairing of poetry and illustrations, this little book captures the crushing tragedy of the Holocaust while still acknowledging—even celebrating—the Jewish people, their faith, and their history.
May 23, 2021
"I do not ask of you
to defeat the enemy,
nor even to revoke the decree;
all I ask of you
is to help me
find a solution."
This is heartbreaking.
Based on a true story of the massacre that happened during the Holocaust, this book in verse tells us about being discriminated and tortured for belonging to a particular community.
I feel the illustrations weren't that necessary and more so because I couldn't link them with the story. I don't like such illustrations in books. Not my kind of artwork.
to defeat the enemy,
nor even to revoke the decree;
all I ask of you
is to help me
find a solution."
This is heartbreaking.
Based on a true story of the massacre that happened during the Holocaust, this book in verse tells us about being discriminated and tortured for belonging to a particular community.
I feel the illustrations weren't that necessary and more so because I couldn't link them with the story. I don't like such illustrations in books. Not my kind of artwork.
October 16, 2020
This is a beautiful and heartbreakingly sad story, told in verse, by the incomparable Elie Wiesel with the beautiful illustrations of Mark Podwal and released by Elie's son after the story was found in a forgotten text. This is a story of war, of sadness, of searching and then of finding joy, even as life is ending. This story will stay with you for forever and even if you are not Jewish, I dare you to not be changed by what you read; we are all just human beings after all.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 16, 2020
Written by Elie Wiesel, about a true story during WWII. Compelling.
February 6, 2021
Anything written by Elie Wiesel will be rated with 5 stars. Change my mind.
October 10, 2021
Can members of the community make the decision of who shall live and who shall die when ordered by the Nazis to select ten people in the ghetto to be hanged? That is the question posed to the Rabbi by the elders of the community, asking his advice. The Rabbi, in turn, seeks out learned Rabbis from throughout Jewish history for guidance. "If the enemy wishes to kill, let him kill - and do not tell him whom to kill." Reminiscent of the Yom Kippur prayer about the ten martyrs who are ordered to be put to death by the Roman government, The Tale of a Niggun is a devastating, heartbreaking, all-too-true Holocaust story, another tour de force by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.
NOTE: There is a glossary in the back which provides explanations of Hebrew terms used as well as brief biographies of those Rabbis mentioned.
NOTE: There is a glossary in the back which provides explanations of Hebrew terms used as well as brief biographies of those Rabbis mentioned.
March 14, 2021
Somehow shorter forms ( poems, stories, novellas) always work less for me than novels. it is hard to define what and how and why I feel as I feel.
Of course, I read it fast - it is a poem, a meditation on Jewishness and their path as a community.
I get the message and the hard choice, but it is not as influential as Night.
P.S.. This small book made me research and google more than I can remember. This glossary was very useful.
P.P.S I still do not get religion.
Of course, I read it fast - it is a poem, a meditation on Jewishness and their path as a community.
I get the message and the hard choice, but it is not as influential as Night.
P.S.. This small book made me research and google more than I can remember. This glossary was very useful.
P.P.S I still do not get religion.
May 13, 2020
A Jewish ghetto under Nazi rule, somewhere in Europe. A rabbi is beseeched by the community elders to solve their problem, for the Nazis are demanding ten sacrifices – ten people of the faith to be killed for Purim, and they need his sagacity to tell them which ten. As a result, he consults with his faith, and finally finds an answer that manages to force the Nazis to use a lot more bullets than they might have expected, but that also means they lose…
This poem, which reads to me like pleasant prose, with no need to be displayed as verse, is a very good introduction, if one is needed, to Elie Wiesel conveying the Holocaust through fiction, although it is based on true incidents. It has a wonderful way of showing how the thinkers the rabbi consults, from the founding days of Hassidism, come to life for the man, and even though he only holds dusty scrolls in his hands, the texts are ways for him to dialogue with his forefathers. Of course, the final message is of more importance to the piece, which is where the niggun comes in. A word I was not aware of, not even an acceptable Scrabble word, and not a word you say on the New York subway without the clearest of diction, it's a religious piece of music for Jews. I'll say no more, to leave the pleasure of finding the plot of this compact little narrative open for all to find. Presented as a rarity since first debuting in the late 1970s (Wiesel's own son didn't know about it until much more recently, it seems), this edition comes with pleasant and strong visuals from the painter, Mark Podwal, who successfully shows the symbols of Judaism, the books and their authors as present in the discussion, the balance of power between the community and the Nazis, and finally the architecture of the Jews – their home, their shul – as beats on the song of life, which is what they are proven to be here. L'Chaim.
This poem, which reads to me like pleasant prose, with no need to be displayed as verse, is a very good introduction, if one is needed, to Elie Wiesel conveying the Holocaust through fiction, although it is based on true incidents. It has a wonderful way of showing how the thinkers the rabbi consults, from the founding days of Hassidism, come to life for the man, and even though he only holds dusty scrolls in his hands, the texts are ways for him to dialogue with his forefathers. Of course, the final message is of more importance to the piece, which is where the niggun comes in. A word I was not aware of, not even an acceptable Scrabble word, and not a word you say on the New York subway without the clearest of diction, it's a religious piece of music for Jews. I'll say no more, to leave the pleasure of finding the plot of this compact little narrative open for all to find. Presented as a rarity since first debuting in the late 1970s (Wiesel's own son didn't know about it until much more recently, it seems), this edition comes with pleasant and strong visuals from the painter, Mark Podwal, who successfully shows the symbols of Judaism, the books and their authors as present in the discussion, the balance of power between the community and the Nazis, and finally the architecture of the Jews – their home, their shul – as beats on the song of life, which is what they are proven to be here. L'Chaim.
May 18, 2020
There is a beauty and a pain in this kind of simplicity in writing, and nobody seems to manage that better than Elie Wiesel. This is a heart wrenching poem written about a Rabbi in one the the World War II ghettos, who has to decide who among his people to send to the Nazis as reparation for the ten sons of Haman. To know this is based in reality is especially hard, as Purim is a time for joy and happiness in having defeated those who would see us dead, and such a twisting of the story by the Nazis is difficult to look at.
After consulting with many of the Rabbis of the ages, and finding little hope in anything that they give, the smallest amount of hope is ascribed to a niggun given by the Ba’al Shem Tov. A song sung to dispel evil and enemies, it comes to the forefront when the Nazis return in the morning, with the Rabbi refusing to give any one of his people up, the song of their ancestors filling their souls as they face their death.
This book speaks to the inherent connection that every Jewish person feels, that kinship that is so untouchable but so tangible. There is so much sadness in this short book, but so much deep connection and courage in the face of horror is something that cuts down to the soul. The illustrations are also beautiful, and stirred a lot of emotions when seen in conjunction with the poem. A beautiful piece but one that will linger long after reading.
After consulting with many of the Rabbis of the ages, and finding little hope in anything that they give, the smallest amount of hope is ascribed to a niggun given by the Ba’al Shem Tov. A song sung to dispel evil and enemies, it comes to the forefront when the Nazis return in the morning, with the Rabbi refusing to give any one of his people up, the song of their ancestors filling their souls as they face their death.
This book speaks to the inherent connection that every Jewish person feels, that kinship that is so untouchable but so tangible. There is so much sadness in this short book, but so much deep connection and courage in the face of horror is something that cuts down to the soul. The illustrations are also beautiful, and stirred a lot of emotions when seen in conjunction with the poem. A beautiful piece but one that will linger long after reading.
May 13, 2020
All for one, and one for all!
Wiesel is well known for his poetry writing style. His account of the Holocaust (he is a survivor) can help but move the reader. This one deals with choices, as a Rabbi is forced to surrender 10 Jews or fight against an entire army. The desperation, sadness, guilt is written with such simplicity it's beautiful while being dramatic.
Wiesel is well known for his poetry writing style. His account of the Holocaust (he is a survivor) can help but move the reader. This one deals with choices, as a Rabbi is forced to surrender 10 Jews or fight against an entire army. The desperation, sadness, guilt is written with such simplicity it's beautiful while being dramatic.
June 14, 2020
A Niggun is a prayer that is chanted, usually at the beginning of a Jewish prayer service. This particular Niggun 2as written as poetry by Elie Weisel. As the musical part of the niggun, its difficult to say if it would lead you to a meditative state.
February 19, 2021
I only made it about halfway through.
Not my kind of poetry. Not my kind of author.
"Night" was good, but some things run deeper than the word on the page.
Not my kind of poetry. Not my kind of author.
"Night" was good, but some things run deeper than the word on the page.
July 11, 2021
Anything/everything by Elie Wiesel.
April 3, 2023
A great work from Elie Wiesel. Beautiful and touching story.
Read
March 27, 2021Haunting. Be sure to visit the glossary at the end of the book to help with the many Jewish references. A visit to past to past horrors which must not be forgotten. We do not always understand the wisdom of God.
September 27, 2021
Based loosely on an actual event, this narrative poem describes the heartbreaking decision a rabbi is called upon to make. He must either give up ten Jews of his own choosing or everyone in his ghetto will die by the hand of Nazis. The poem speaks of his agony as he searches for an answer. The writing is lyrical and the illustrations are touchingly beautiful. A detailed introduction and a glossary of terms add to the understanding of the Jewish ideals.
October 25, 2020
The Tale of a Niggun - by Elie Wiesel
This a beautiful narrative poem based on a heartbreakingly true story from the second world war.
On the eve of the Jewish holiday of Purim, the Nazis demand that the Jews hand over ten Jews to be hung to "avenge" the deaths of the ten sons of Haman, the villain of the Purim story, which celebrates the triumph of the Jews of Persia over potential genocide some 2,400 years ago. If they refuse, everyone in the ghetto will be murdered. The ghetto’s rabbi seeks advice on this awful moral dilemma by consulting the wisdom of rabbis from centuries past, but no one can give him a satisfactory answer.
I don’t think it would help to write any more about the story and the decision the rabbi makes on behalf of the community, but those who go to their deaths do so singing a ‘niggun’ a wordless, joyful and repetitive melody claimed to stir the soul and have the power to break the chains of evil.
The story is beautifully written and its skill is that it makes a huge impact with so few words. It shows how community and singing can give strength against the worst evil and bleakest outcome.
With the current surge in anti-Semitism across the world the poem feels timely, important and urgent.
I have to admit I was not aware of Elie Wiesel until I read this book, but I now plan to read up on some of his other work. I now know that Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor of Hungarian Jewish descent, and the author of over 40 books. One of these, Night, describes his experiences during the Holocaust and his imprisonment in several concentration camps.
Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. The Norwegian Nobel Committee called him a "messenger to mankind," noting that through his struggle to come to terms with "his own personal experience of total humiliation and of the utter contempt for humanity shown in Hitler's death camps," as well as his "practical work in the cause of peace," Wiesel has delivered a powerful message "of peace, atonement and human dignity" to humanity.
This book includes illustrations of full-colour paintings by award-winning artist Mark Podwal. For this reason, I would recommend a print copy of the book as the e-version I read from does not do these justice.
With thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
This a beautiful narrative poem based on a heartbreakingly true story from the second world war.
On the eve of the Jewish holiday of Purim, the Nazis demand that the Jews hand over ten Jews to be hung to "avenge" the deaths of the ten sons of Haman, the villain of the Purim story, which celebrates the triumph of the Jews of Persia over potential genocide some 2,400 years ago. If they refuse, everyone in the ghetto will be murdered. The ghetto’s rabbi seeks advice on this awful moral dilemma by consulting the wisdom of rabbis from centuries past, but no one can give him a satisfactory answer.
I don’t think it would help to write any more about the story and the decision the rabbi makes on behalf of the community, but those who go to their deaths do so singing a ‘niggun’ a wordless, joyful and repetitive melody claimed to stir the soul and have the power to break the chains of evil.
The story is beautifully written and its skill is that it makes a huge impact with so few words. It shows how community and singing can give strength against the worst evil and bleakest outcome.
With the current surge in anti-Semitism across the world the poem feels timely, important and urgent.
I have to admit I was not aware of Elie Wiesel until I read this book, but I now plan to read up on some of his other work. I now know that Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor of Hungarian Jewish descent, and the author of over 40 books. One of these, Night, describes his experiences during the Holocaust and his imprisonment in several concentration camps.
Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. The Norwegian Nobel Committee called him a "messenger to mankind," noting that through his struggle to come to terms with "his own personal experience of total humiliation and of the utter contempt for humanity shown in Hitler's death camps," as well as his "practical work in the cause of peace," Wiesel has delivered a powerful message "of peace, atonement and human dignity" to humanity.
This book includes illustrations of full-colour paintings by award-winning artist Mark Podwal. For this reason, I would recommend a print copy of the book as the e-version I read from does not do these justice.
With thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 18, 2020
First sentence: A ghetto, somewhere in the East, during the reign of night, under skies of copper and fire. The leaders of the community, good people all, courageous all, fearing God and loving His Law, came to see the rabbi who has cried and cried, and has searched darkness for an answer with such passion that he no longer can see. It’s urgent, they tell him, it’s more than urgent; it’s a matter of life or death for some Jews and perhaps all Jews.
Premise/plot: The Tale of a Niggun is a narrative poem by Elie Wiesel originally published circa 1978 within a larger collection of works honoring Rabbi Wolfe Kelman. It has newly been republished on its own--or soon will be published in November 2020.
The setting is a GHETTO in the midst of the second World War. The leaders are seeking an answer to an impossible question: should they supply the Nazis with a list of TEN names of people to be deported/taken? If they fail to give a list, then ANY could be taken or ALL could be taken. Perhaps every person will die as a result of not cooperating. Yet wouldn't it be murder to cooperate and help choose WHO dies? A rabbi reluctantly wrestles with this question seeking out the wisdom of his ancestors.
My thoughts: It's a quick read but super-super-super intense and masterful. It is written as a narrative poem. It may at first seem intimidating to the non-Jewish reader, BUT, a helpful glossary is provided in the back of the book that will prove super helpful.
Premise/plot: The Tale of a Niggun is a narrative poem by Elie Wiesel originally published circa 1978 within a larger collection of works honoring Rabbi Wolfe Kelman. It has newly been republished on its own--or soon will be published in November 2020.
The setting is a GHETTO in the midst of the second World War. The leaders are seeking an answer to an impossible question: should they supply the Nazis with a list of TEN names of people to be deported/taken? If they fail to give a list, then ANY could be taken or ALL could be taken. Perhaps every person will die as a result of not cooperating. Yet wouldn't it be murder to cooperate and help choose WHO dies? A rabbi reluctantly wrestles with this question seeking out the wisdom of his ancestors.
My thoughts: It's a quick read but super-super-super intense and masterful. It is written as a narrative poem. It may at first seem intimidating to the non-Jewish reader, BUT, a helpful glossary is provided in the back of the book that will prove super helpful.
if the enemy wishes to kill, let him kill—and do not tell him whom to kill. Your role, my young brother and colleague, the role of rabbi is to be with his Jews, not facing them. Should they be summoned by God or the enemy, should they choose to respond, do as they do, walk with them, pray with them or for them, howl with them, weep as they weep; share their anguish and their anger as you have shared their joy; see to it that the sacrifice imposed by the enemy unites his victims instead of separating them; as rabbi, there is only one call you must issue: Jews stay together, Jews stay together as Jews.
May 28, 2020
all I know is
that there is night
around me
and in me;
and I am sinking,
drawn by its silence,
which is God’s, too.
The Tale of a Niggun is a narrative poem written by Elie Wiesel and published in a collection of essays in 1978. It is written in free verse and accompanied by illustrations best viewed in print. Wiesel’s son, Elisha Wiesel, discovered that the heartbreaking poem of a rabbi deciding the fate of a ghetto’s Jews was loosely based on true events during World War II in two Polish ghettos.
What should we do
or say?
ask the leaders
of the ghetto
somewhere in the East
under forbidden
and cursed skies;
what can we do
so as not to be doomed?
It is beautifully written and expressive. Wiesel’s verse humanizes the moral dilemma of the rabbi. Does he give up ten Jews to save the rest, or does he refuse to participate in this cruel experiment and thus doom the community to suffer extermination? It is The Trolley Problem in real life; would you switch the track to kill one person and thus save five? Or would you refuse to be complicit and witness a tragic loss of more lives?
The rabbi turns to religious scholars of the past and asks for their guidance, but ultimately he is the one who must choose. The Tale of a Niggun does conclude the story with a definitive answer instead of leaving it open-ended, but it allows you the space to ponder what you would do in his shoes.
Recommended for fans of Wiesel’s most famous work, Night, and those not scared by a little free verse.
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
that there is night
around me
and in me;
and I am sinking,
drawn by its silence,
which is God’s, too.
The Tale of a Niggun is a narrative poem written by Elie Wiesel and published in a collection of essays in 1978. It is written in free verse and accompanied by illustrations best viewed in print. Wiesel’s son, Elisha Wiesel, discovered that the heartbreaking poem of a rabbi deciding the fate of a ghetto’s Jews was loosely based on true events during World War II in two Polish ghettos.
What should we do
or say?
ask the leaders
of the ghetto
somewhere in the East
under forbidden
and cursed skies;
what can we do
so as not to be doomed?
It is beautifully written and expressive. Wiesel’s verse humanizes the moral dilemma of the rabbi. Does he give up ten Jews to save the rest, or does he refuse to participate in this cruel experiment and thus doom the community to suffer extermination? It is The Trolley Problem in real life; would you switch the track to kill one person and thus save five? Or would you refuse to be complicit and witness a tragic loss of more lives?
The rabbi turns to religious scholars of the past and asks for their guidance, but ultimately he is the one who must choose. The Tale of a Niggun does conclude the story with a definitive answer instead of leaving it open-ended, but it allows you the space to ponder what you would do in his shoes.
Recommended for fans of Wiesel’s most famous work, Night, and those not scared by a little free verse.
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 26, 2020
Elie Wiesel is an elegant writer of history, personal and universal, community faith and accountability. His storytelling in The Tale of the Niggun, in the form of a short narrative poem based on an actual event during World War II, is powerful and poignant. The text was first published by Wiesel in 1978, in a collection of essays, and brought to the attention of his family after his death.
The Tale of a Niggun (“niggun” is a joyful melody, without words, that breaks evil chains) is steeped in Jewish culture and history. It feels strikingly so timely: a community is threatened and seeks a solution from a variety of wise revered leaders. An answer seems impossible, until the community gathers to sing: a universe of souls in and out of time. I thought of balconies and music filling the streets and cities bringing hope in perilous times. Life and Death times.
The pastel-colored illustrations by Mark Podwal are sparse and beautifully rendered for the text.
Elie Wiesel received many honors and awards in his life, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. In his writings and life work he earned and owned the word “noble”.
The Tale of a Niggun (“niggun” is a joyful melody, without words, that breaks evil chains) is steeped in Jewish culture and history. It feels strikingly so timely: a community is threatened and seeks a solution from a variety of wise revered leaders. An answer seems impossible, until the community gathers to sing: a universe of souls in and out of time. I thought of balconies and music filling the streets and cities bringing hope in perilous times. Life and Death times.
The pastel-colored illustrations by Mark Podwal are sparse and beautifully rendered for the text.
Elie Wiesel received many honors and awards in his life, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. In his writings and life work he earned and owned the word “noble”.
June 4, 2020
This is a book that is written with a lot of heart and a message to deliver and to be remembered. The focus and importance on community is now more important than ever to not only read about but to recognize in our lives. We all belong to the world at large and that means we must look beyond ourselves as individuals and look to see how we can best serve our communities and stand up for what is right. This book speaks on this type of search for wisdom and understanding when confronted with an impossible question regarding the lives of people. It speaks beyond one's faith to religion but to that of humanity and what it means to respect it and hold it intact with dignity and respect. A quick read but I recommend reading it slowly and dwelling on it afterwards. Let it linger with you, let it stick with you, and make sure to reread it once more! I did and it touched my heart once more <3 This book was just the sign I needed to reread my Elie Wiesel books and I'll be keen to add it to my collection.
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